Sunleye-Solawumi Olaleye
3 July 2009
analysis
Lagos — A little over a century ago, the game of football was still struggling to establish itself. Back then, it could be said to be in its yet to evolve infancy and it was played without much vision or great tactical plan.
This was even way back to before what can be considered the first standard, if ancient, formation, called WM was created. Largely, in those period before the creation of international football, most of the outfield players run in pursuit of the round leather object without serious attention to tactical positioning.
But then came FIFA and international football. From then things began to undergo rapid changes. With the first few World Cup titles going to Uruguay and Italy, the likes of Brazil began showing discontent with their cup winning station in life.
To rectify this and also show that they are one of the best football playing nations in the world and fully deserved to be in the league of World Cup winners, they began playing the kind of football that is like a dream to even think of. By the time they had endured their barren run till some eight years after the end of the holocaust (World War II), they have packaged together, such a beautiful way of playing the game that it was expected that they would land their first title; and they did.
By the time they had consistently played this way and had such a beautiful run in the 1970 edition with the likes of the new kid sensation of global football, Pele, constituting the team, backed by the likes of Jairzinho, Tostao, Carlos Alberto, Gerson, Clodoaldo, Rivelino, to win their third title, they have forced the world to give the acronym, 'The Beautiful Game' to football.
But now, the Brazilian beautiful football wheel, nearly another half a century after they made the game the most beautiful thing to behold in the world, seems to have turned its full cycle.
Apart from that these days, they do not usually play that wine-heady football they used to - what they have now is something akin to a mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly, with plenty of European section - they have decided to add a new sight into the game.
The new Brazilian addition, which they expect the secular world to swallow hook, line and sinker as it did its beautiful samba football, is something akin to bigotry. They are now bringing their religion on display to the world after every one of their wins; in blatant disregard of every football family members' believe and worship.
This new style began some years back in one of the age-grade category when after one of the country's players scored a goal and went to the sideline to display the writings on his white under-garment; it professed his love for Jesus. Now, the beautiful game must be made to broadcast religion every time Brazil win a global competition, and they do that often.
But with the global footballing family coming together with the agreement that the only thing that would bind them together was the game - no creed, colour, religion, language to separate them - Brazil have now begun to make the Beautiful Game to look ugly to some members of the family. And seeing this one-time too many, or rather, with one visionary member of the THISDAY family - Olawale Ajimotokan - seeing how this new behaviour is turning our Beautiful Game to an ugly thing, has made FIFA to see that a canker is beginning to germinate through a letter to the world body.
Now, the Zurich based global governors of the game have responded to Mr. Ajimotokan's maritime warning by saying it is time something is done. Below is Ajimotokan's account.
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